Eric's Mtech2 Vert

[Cabriolet]

Rebuild 1: Blown water pump and seeping headgasket. replaced rings, bearings, and all gaskets, new PS pump, and manual swap.
Rebuild 2. Headgasket blew bc I had used VR stuff. bolts had streched
Rebuild 3. Noticed bad oil consumption this summer at high speeds. on thanksgiving all the top rings let go and the second compression ring let go in cylinders 2 and 3. giving me 50psi on compression test. so i did a light refresh on LBV's donor car's engine and after it was in and running found out that the head or headgasket was bad so I changed both. also did brand new eccentrics, bolts, nuts etc on the previous head so it's running near perfect now.

[CorvallisBMW]

Holy shit. So you blew one ring, rebuilt it, blew all the rings, got a new engine, blew the HG and then put a new head on? Jesus... that's some bad luck

[Cabriolet]

What what in the butt. It's Christmas break so that means a new engine time!
Thanksgiving day all my rings lets go and I had picked up a low millage engine and did a light refresh.
Cleaned and painted the block.


M50 17lb injectors in.

All new seals, timing belt and water pump.

Here's our trick for doing the lower seals.
Using an engine hoist hold the motor upside-down using chain on the motor mounts. That way we can get to the back seals and oil pan.



All put together and ready to go in.

In but not running.


JK! Blown head or headgasket. Mother F'er!!!
So today we did away with that head and gasket for a fully refreshed head, brand new eccentrics (valve adjustment needed badly now.)



There's no reason to ever skimp on the headgasket.

Head change in 1 day complete!
I don't have any photos and I haven't gotten the time-laps for today done yet. but shes running but needs a valve adjustment.

[///schwartzman]

How much would you sell her with the motor out?? I love M-Tech's almost as much as my M3... and an S54 would make her perfect!

[craiggroves91]

The m20 cant use the leveler like that. you will bend the front hanger. so i lift from the motor mount arms

Its just a hanger, bend it back

[Cabriolet]

The m20 cant use the leveler like that. you will bend the front hanger. so i lift from the motor mount arms

[craiggroves91]

Sucks! You'll get her going soon.

PS. You're using the load leveler incorrectly
It goes like dis

[Cabriolet]

Im really not sure what happened. i thought the rings may have been tight, but checking them they are all within spec.

today i prepped the block to go in for machining




and we also got my wife's rear subframe ready for her car.

[canakami]

Damn, you work stupid quick.

[bradnic]

and this happened with just normal driving?

[Cabriolet]

Didn't check the ring gap? just curious why 1 cylinder and not all. Maybe they would have failed soon as well.

this, cylinder 1 always runs coolest on the M20. my bad, luckily an m20 is a cheap engine to rebuild and i have a bunch of extra m20 engines.

[reelizmpro]

Barry heres the brand of ring.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5123/5286988069_3b477a3a5f_b.jpg

i got the stock OEM size. thinking that would be correct. apparently they were too big. too tight. and built up too much heat.

Didn't check the ring gap? just curious why 1 cylinder and not all. Maybe they would have failed soon as well.

[Cabriolet]

Barry heres the brand of ring.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5123/5286988069_3b477a3a5f_b.jpg

i got the stock OEM size. thinking that would be correct. apparently they were too big. too tight. and built up too much heat.

[reelizmpro]

Didn't you put those rings in? Why only cylinder 5? What brand rings?

[Cabriolet]

Failure sucks
Melted my rings.
Checked my compression good in 5/6 of the cylinders. Cylinder 5 register 50psi on the dry compression test and 120 wet.


Here’s the last time this engine will be in this car.


Still sexy


10 am and engine is ready to be pulled.


My good friend mike lent me a huge hand.


Breaking lose the shift linkage is always a PITA. The transmission clip sucks.


11am out it comes.





Here's the reason I had to do this.


Melted ring, they crack like glass.

IMG_0469 by Eric Berger, on Flickr